Taylor Swift albums as Dublin hospitality spots

Taylor's third studio album calls for one thing and one thing only, twinkling fairy lights. Something that One Kinda Folk's original spot set in the 'secret garden' beside a yoga studio on Darthmouth Road has by the multitude. There's some garden of Eden echoes in between all those plants and trees, which leads the visitor to revelations and inner reflections. Taylor's once starry-eyed optimism has been dented by some heartbreak, innocence lost and some of that feeling that only comes with falling in love with the wrong person. A matcha latte in One Kinda Folk is the perfect place to contemplate all the heartbreak accrued as a 20-year-old (which is not very much).

The girlhood that Taylor so cleaved to in Speak Now has been smushed in Red, so too has country roots. All the messy adolescent impulses that were muted in her last few albums, that spoke of fantasy archetypes of knights on white horses of childhood sweethearts have been dashed. Cue the synths and drop the bass, Taylor is out and about experiencing life in its most vivid form. She's out on Camden Street falling in and out of bars, pouring her heart out to her friends in a Formica booth over a half-eaten burger and garlic butter fries.

As close to a New York state of mind as you are likely to get in town, is probably a visit to Cafe en Seine. It's a glitzy and glamorous space where you can easily get lost and forget about your identity, much like the Big Apple. The kind of place where you can be young and reckless with the gals wearing six-inch heels and listen to empowering pop hits, much like how Taylor burst onto the stage reaching immaculate highs through her diamond-encrusted mic.

This album signals a change to Taylor, she's trying some new things out she's experimenting. Where best to do it than in Dublin's foremost dive bar R.I.O.T, set in a slightly more edgy part of town than Taylor would be used to? Promising a big reputation with some big energy Reputation is a biting, snarl of an album that sparks pent-up aggression and anger. The darkened interiors of R.I.O.T are perfect for some late-night beer spills, rogue smooches and/or some head-banging.

Taylor's eighth studio album is a straight-up sweater-weather record filled with cinematic love songs and the feeling of missing someone before you've even known them. For an indie album like Folklore, it has to be Trails Café set up in the Dublin mountains, with a mountain bike rental service out the back. This album is perfect for grabbing an oat flattie in your reusable cup, and wandering up the mountains for a spot of forest bathing.

Evermore - The Horseshoe Bar in The Shelbourne

Midnights - Allta

Taylor's tenth studio album has placed a big emphasis on setting an atmosphere, making the location of this record crucially important. With modern art on the walls, a vinyl sound system capable of bursting an eardrum, idiosyncratic food and clever drinks, it had to be the uber-cool Allta. With Taylor now hitting her 30s, she's moved from being the 'good girl' the 'bad girl' to reaching a stage of contentment that a lot of us feel at that age. She's chafing under societal expectations to settle down and have kids, she wants to go out but not until the AM. That's why she is grabbing the gals and blowing all her money on a snazzy dinner in Allta.

While Swift’s newest album may have received hit-or-miss reviews, this Temple Bar spot always hits the high note. With dimmed lighting and vintage décor, it’s the perfect hideaway for a showgirl to sip a well-earned cocktail after a long night in the spotlight. Serving up all the classics alongside daring, original creations, Vintage Cocktail Club oozes old-school glamour; not to mention its stellar selection of small plates. Whether you're in the mood for something Actually Romantic or hoping to tick a few drinks off your Wi$h Li$t, this speakeasy-style gem never misses a beat.

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